Apparatus for alloying metals



May 16, 1939. p v MCPARLIN 2,158,517

APPARATUS FOR ALLOYING METALS Filed Dec. 5, 1956 INVENTOR RL/Iy ATTORN Y5 Patented May 16, 1939 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR ALLOYING METALS Daniel V. McParlin, Passaic, N. .L, assignor to The Okonite-Callender Cable Company, Incorporated, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application Dcembert, 1936, Serial No. 114,331

1 Claim.

5 -The device of the present invention comprises two chambers which I shall call a melting cham- The metal such as ber and an alloying chamber. lead is melted in the melting chamber and then passed to the alloying chamber, one charge at a time. Heretofore it has been' difiicult to alloy lead and lithium for extrusion, with the necessary degree of uniformity owing to the fugitive nature of the lithium, the lithium being lost to a detrimental extent during the alloying process. Consequently one of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a process wherein the lead is melted in a melting chamber, and the molten lead then passed to an alloying chamber, one charge at a time, where the lithium is added. As soon as the lead and lithium alloy, the alloy is discharged to the lead press.

Other objects of the present invention will be manifest from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

The drawing is a sectional elevational view of a melting pot constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 2 designates the outer wall of a melting pot adapted to be 80 heated in any desired manner. Within this pot and projecting upwardly from the bottom thereof are posts 6 for supporting a cylindrical container 8 which comprises an alloying chamber, the space between the container 6 and the wall of the melting pot constituting the melting chamber.

.The alloying chamber is closed except for intake and outlet ports t and it which will be described presently.

The side wall of the pot 2 is provided with flanges or brackets 02 and M for supporting a vertically. extending rod it, one end of which carries a hand wheel l8 and the other end a sprocket 2t. Within the pot 2 another vertically extending rod 22 is mounted in brackets or flanges 5 2t and 26 carried by the container 6, the lower end of the rod 22 carrying a valve 28 at its lower end and a sprocket 30 at its upper end in horizontal alignment with the sprocket 2t. A sprocket chain 32 passes around the sprockets 20 and 3th The brackets 86 and 24 are screw threaded to receive screw threaded portions 3 5 and 36 intermediate the ends of the rods i6 and 22, respectively. The valve 28, it will be noted, is in line with a valve seat 38 leading to the port 8 of the alloying chamber 2. Y

It will be understood that rotation of the hand wheel it will cause the rod l6 and the sprocket 20 to rotate which in turn, due to the sprocket chain connection, will cause the rotation of the sprocket 3i] and the shaft or rod 22. As the shafts l6 and 22 are thus rotated, itwill be appreciated that the valve 28 will be raised and lowered out of and into the valve seat 38 toopen and close this valve.

The lead or other metal is charged into the melting chamber through the door 40 and when heated to the desired degree the valve 28 is opened as above described to permit of a single charge of the molten metal to pass into the alloying chamber t after which the valve is closed. When a charge of molten metal is passed into the alloying chamber 2 lithium or other metal to .be alloyed with the lead is admitted to the alloying chamber in the proper proportion through the tube &2. This tube adjacent its lower end is perforated as shown at M for the discharge of the lithium into the mass of molten lead. The level of the charge in the alloying chamber is shown by gauge 16 which extends into the alloying chamber and is provided at its lower end with a float Q8.

The charge in the alloying chamber is maintained in molten condition by means of the molten metal in the melting chamber and is stirred or agitated by means of an agitator 5d, the shaft of which extends through the tops of the chambers 2 and t and at its outer end is provided with a gear 56 which is in mesh with a pinion 58 on the shaft of a motor Gil for driving the same.

When the charge has been thoroughly mixed and alloyed the discharging valve 52 of the alloy ing chamber is opened to discharge the molten alloy through the outlet port it of the alloying chamber, this port leading to an extrusion press or other equipment. It will be noted that the inlet valve 23 is below the level of the molten metal in the chamber 2 so that the charges of molten metal are withdrawn from below the surface of the molten mass, thereby insuring the withdrawal of metal free of oxidation.

If desired a vacuum may be drawn on the chamber 8 with both the valves 28 and 52 closed and before the admission of lead into the chamber. This evacuation ofthe chamber insures a clean chamber free of air or oxygen and thus preventing the oxidation of the lead when the same is admitted to the chamber. In this connection I have illustrated a vacuum line 45 having a control valve 41 and leading to the closed chamber 6. After the chamber 6 has been evacuated the valve 28 is opened to admit a single charge of lead into the chamber 6 where it is alloyed with another metal such as lithium, as above described. To prevent any oxidation of the charge in the chamber 6 as the charge is discharged to the press past the valve 52, the vacuum in the chamber 6 is broken by closing the valve 41 in the vacuum line and admitting an inert gas to the chamber S'from a supply tank 92. A suitable inert gas is nitrogen.

It is also to be understood that other changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts within the purview of my invention. 1

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described the combination of a melting pot, a closed container within said pot spaced from the walls thereof to provide a melting chamber, a port in-the wall of said chamber providing communication between said melting chamber and said closed container, a valve manually operable from the exterior of said pot for regulating the admission of molten lead through said port to said closed chamber whereby molten lead can be admitted a charge at a time to said closed chamber, means for supplying another metal to said chamber for alloying with the molten lead, means for supplying nitrogen gas to said closed chamber, means operable from the exterior of the melting pot for mixing the charges of molten lead with said other metal in said closed chamber, and means for placing the closed chamber under vacuum.

DANIEL V. MCPARLJN. 

